The Honest Guide to Permanent Makeup
A straightforward guide to getting permanent makeup right, on your own terms
There's a version of this post that sugarcoats everything. This isn't that version.
If you're thinking about permanent makeup, brows, lips, any of it, there are a few things that will make the difference between loving your results and wishing you'd done things slightly differently. None of it is complicated. But it does require you to show up for yourself, which, honestly, is the whole point.
Ask your questions. Every single one.
The consultation exists for a reason. Before your session, your desired look gets discussed in detail, and that conversation only works if you're actually in it. If you're wondering whether microblading or nano brows is the right technique for your skin, ask. If you're not sure about colour, ask. If you have a concern you feel a little embarrassed about, ask anyway.
There are no dumb questions here. The ones that don't get asked before might become regrets after.
Understand what you're walking into.
Permanent makeup is a cosmetic tattoo. Whether you're booking microblading, nano brows, 3d brows, or lip blush, pigment is applied into the skin using fine needles, with numbing cream to keep you comfortable. It is still a process your skin has to go through. Plan for a healing window of three to five weeks before your results are fully settled, and know that what you see in the first few days is not the finished result.
Brows will look bold and defined, and potentially a little red, right after your session, then go through a phase where they appear softer, sometimes almost too soft, before the colour blooms back. Lips follow a similar cycle: vivid at first, then a little flakey, then the true tone comes through.
Your touch-up session is built into the process. It's not a sign something went wrong. It's how the work gets completed.
Plan the timing. Do the actual math.
This is where most people trip up, not because they don't care, but because they don't think far enough ahead.
Here's how to work backward from an event:
Brows (microblading, nano brows, nano brows with shading, 3D brows)
Healing: 3 to 4 weeks to look social-ready, up to 6 weeks to fully settle
Touch-up: typically 6 to 8 weeks after your initial session
Buffer before a big event: at least 6 to 8 weeks from your first session
If your wedding, reunion, or milestone birthday is June 1st, you want to be sitting in Leah's chair no later than the beginning of April. Ideally earlier.
Lips (lip blush)
Initial healing: 2 to 3 weeks for the surface
Full colour bloom: 3 to 6 weeks
Touch-up: 6 to 8 weeks after your first session
Buffer before an event: 6 to 8 weeks minimum from your first session
The pattern holds across services: you need roughly two months between your first session and looking exactly the way you want for something that matters.
A few other things that affect your timeline: active sun exposure, retinol or exfoliating acids in your skincare routine, and certain medications that affect how your skin heals. Bring all of it up at your consultation. Nothing is too small to mention.
Do the research before you book.
Know what you're booking and who you're booking with. Look at portfolios, not just the best photos, but a range of work. Read reviews. Understand whether microblading, nano brows, or one of the more advanced techniques suits your skin type and lifestyle, because they don't all work the same way on every skin. Also worth knowing: the permanent makeup industry has no shortage of pay-to-play badges and self-designated titles that have nothing to do with actual skill or training. A real portfolio, personal recommendations from actual clients and verifiable education tell you more than any award ever will.
Leah has spent years continuing her education across multiple specialized academies, and that investment in training shows in the consistency of her results. No question is off the table. You bring yours; she brings the expertise. Book here.